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<\/p>\nCongressional District 45 made history in 2024 by electing the first Vietnamese American congressman to represent the area.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s making history again this year, with two Vietnamese American candidates running to represent the Orange County region, where Asian Americans make up the largest ethnic demographic, for the first time in U.S. history.<\/p>\n
Derek Tran, who won the congressional district two years ago by edging out then-incumbent Michelle Steel (herself a Korean immigrant) by just 653 votes, is trying to fend off challenger Chuong Vo, a retired police officer and former Cerritos mayor.<\/p>\n
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In the June primary, Tran garnered more than 53% of the vote, while Vo split the Republican vote with several other candidates.<\/p>\n
In the district, which includes Westminster\u2019s Little Saigon, Tran, the son of Vietnamese refugees, has highlighted his family\u2019s story throughout his political career. But his cultural roots may not help as much when running against Vo, another child of Vietnamese refugees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a big part of Derek Tran\u2019s story in his first campaign for this seat,\u201d Dustin Gardiner, senior politics reporter at the San Francisco Standard, said. \u201cThat really seemed to help make the difference in a really tight race.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Republican Party has a stronger influence in Orange County than in other parts of Southern California, Proposition 50 may help Tran win reelection.<\/p>\n
After Proposition 50 allowed redistricting across the state, Congressional District 45 gained more of Los Angeles County, including parts of Lakewood, as well as northern Orange County. In all, 40% of the district\u2019s 750,000 voters are Asian American, and up to 30% are Latino, according to voting data.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the stories we each bring are our own, and I do think at the end of the day, our community is going to vote on not just that we are Vietnamese American. They are going to look at our experience,\u201d Tran said.<\/p>\n
The incumbent may have a point, according to Gardiner, as voters are dissatisfied with what\u2019s happening in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cDerek Tran\u2019s story might not be so central this time around, but there are other political factors, like Trump being in office, and the district is bluer than it was before,\u201d Gardiner explained.<\/p>\n